Covers for transport containers, as found in or used with trucks, trailers and other transport vehicles, are necessary for many reasons. For example, such covers reduce the likelihood that the load being carried escapes, and also protect the load from the elements. Typically these covers are large and heavy, and therefore manipulating them manually is very difficult. Accordingly, various automated systems for manipulating transport container covers have been developed.
Some existing systems for manipulating truck container covers include telescopic arms deployed on opposite sides of the container to be covered. These arms are used to open and close the cover over the top of the container. Such systems may deploy the cover by extending the telescopic arms along the sides of the container. An example of such an existing system including a cover housing mounted on a retractable gantry is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,287, filed Aug. 14, 1992, of Edward N. Haddad, Jr.
While generally effective, covering systems including side mounted telescopic arms are not appropriate for all situations. For example, when a container being covered must be maneuvered in a relatively small area, the amount of clearance beyond the sides of the transport container may be minimal. In that circumstance, arms disposed beyond the sides of the container limit the maneuverability of the transport vehicle. Side mounted telescopic arms are also relatively expensive, and are susceptible to damage from inadvertent contact with walls or other vehicles.
For these reasons and others, it would be desirable to have a new system for covering a transport container. The new system should be conveniently operable by a single user, and should eliminate the need for any telescoping arms mounted to the sides of the container to be covered.